Amtrak, CSX must negotiate route improvements before New Orleans-Mobile, Ala., operations can be restored
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/06/09-gulf-coast-corridor-wins-federal-grant-to-restore-passenger-service
Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine
My Aunt tried to get Montgomery, AL to consider expanding the limited bus system into poor areas or invest in Light Rail. Her perspective is that they are still living in the Jim Crowe era. She also stated their feelings were that rail should be self-supporting vs subsidized. She was very harsh in her opinion based on her feedback from the city council of Montgomery..... given that she is a Catholic Nun.
So, given her experiences your probably not going to see any money from Alabama as they are going to consider a train as a means to transport primarily black folks and their racial based view is that would increase crime.
lets see. 2 whole train sets. At least 3 locos more based at NOL. 4 or 6 coaches + 2 lounges + at least 2 spare coaches.. Now even though the Siemens Brightline type coaches will be coming on line ( hopefully ) that may displace some cars those displaced cars might already to be allocated to the many presently operating agencies. That is Downeaster, New Haven <> Springfield, New York Empire service, More CHI trains and additional cars on CHI existing trains, Cascades replacements of the Talgos, San Jaoquine expansions, So Cal expansions.
In other words more equipment that the listed agencies may already have first refusal compared to a pig -in-the-poke proposal with no apparent Alabama support.
Then throw in a possible derailment of Amtrak equipment ? ?
blue streak 1Now even though the Siemens Brightline type coaches will be coming on line ( hopefully ) that may displace some cars those displaced cars might already to be allocated to the many presently operating agencies.
Somebody has to buy new equipment, I can't see Amtrak shifting old equipment to new corridor startups because the available useful life left in the old equipment is not a lot. So my guess is Amtrak buys new and does a lease to whatever agency does not initially have money for new equipment.
Amtrak is going to restore the train between New Orleans and Mobile, AL. It was stopped 14 years ago after Hurricane Katrina. It would be a twice daily round trip.
Louisiana and Mississippi have pledged money to make it happen, but Alabama has not yet decided.
https://www.nola.com/news/2019/06/amtrak-plans-to-return-train-service-to-the-gulf-coast.html
York1 John
The additional mileage within the state of Alabama is relatively little, and some proportion of the trips within Mississippi would be 'only' to serve Alabama. So it may be interesting to see how the costs get allocated.
On the other hand, I for one don't give much of a crap until the service is actually restored all the way to relevance at Jacksonville (or some other meaningful point that connects with rail service to the Florida peninsula) whether or not there is any usable 'transportation service' to places like Crestview in the middle of the night. Wake me up when the planning gets to that point.
OvermodThe additional mileage within the state of Alabama is relatively little, and some proportion of the trips within Mississippi would be 'only' to serve Alabama. So it may be interesting to see how the costs get allocated. On the other hand, I for one don't give much of a crap until the service is actually restored all the way to relevance at Jacksonville (or some other meaningful point that connects with rail service to the Florida peninsula) whether or not there is any usable 'transportation service' to places like Crestview in the middle of the night. Wake me up when the planning gets to that point.
Remember - Pensacola to Baldwin, FL is no longer owned and operated by CSX.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACDRemember - Pensacola to Baldwin, FL is no longer owned and operated by CSX.
Don't care. The only question is whether Amtrak can operate over the needed mileage. And it's a key part of a meaningful national LD network, to the extent any connecting line is.
Overmod BaltACD Remember - Pensacola to Baldwin, FL is no longer owned and operated by CSX. Don't care. The only question is whether Amtrak can operate over the needed mileage. And it's a key part of a meaningful national LD network, to the extent any connecting line is.
BaltACD Remember - Pensacola to Baldwin, FL is no longer owned and operated by CSX.
You may not care - but the new owners of the line may!
BaltACD Overmod BaltACD Remember - Pensacola to Baldwin, FL is no longer owned and operated by CSX. Don't care. The only question is whether Amtrak can operate over the needed mileage. And it's a key part of a meaningful national LD network, to the extent any connecting line is. You may not care - but the new owners of the line may!
Doubt it would matter. That was a pre-existing Amtrak line, on which service was only discontinued due to 'act of God', and unless I recall incorrectly Amtrak still has the ability to require passage of its trains.
Overmod BaltACD Overmod BaltACD Remember - Pensacola to Baldwin, FL is no longer owned and operated by CSX. Don't care. The only question is whether Amtrak can operate over the needed mileage. And it's a key part of a meaningful national LD network, to the extent any connecting line is. You may not care - but the new owners of the line may! Doubt it would matter. That was a pre-existing Amtrak line, on which service was only discontinued due to 'act of God', and unless I recall incorrectly Amtrak still has the ability to require passage of its trains.
Of course the route also had the accident with the highest loss of life in Amtrak history - at Bayou Canot. Last I looked there were 11 drawbridges on the CSX line between Mobile and New Orleans and 5 more between Mobile and Flomaton and one more between Flomaton and Baldwin.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bayou_Canot_rail_accident
BaltACDOf course the route also had the accident with the highest loss of life in Amtrak history - at Bayou Canot. Last I looked there were 11 drawbridges on the CSX line between Mobile and New Orleans and 5 more between Mobile and Flomaton and one more between Flomaton and Baldwin.
To say nothing of all the route mileage that has swamp or steep drainage embankment close to the track, aching for problems in even a slight derailment that throws cars away from centerline... and how many critical bridges are there in the section between Mobile and Jacksonville, the only part where we have to worry about Amtrak blanket liability in extending the service.
I think there are ways to deal with these things, particularly instrumenting the draws so any problem with their line or surface is communicated promptly and correctly to the trains. At least some of the required warnings, especially in flooding, would be piggybacked easily onto proper CBPTC. Of course our unique combination of weasels and shortsighted do-gooders give us a worthless signal overlay instead. But with just a couple more trillion we can fix it to work at least most of the time in critical situations...
Overmod BaltACD Of course the route also had the accident with the highest loss of life in Amtrak history - at Bayou Canot. Last I looked there were 11 drawbridges on the CSX line between Mobile and New Orleans and 5 more between Mobile and Flomaton and one more between Flomaton and Baldwin. To say nothing of all the route mileage that has swamp or steep drainage embankment close to the track, aching for problems in even a slight derailment that throws cars away from centerline... and how many critical bridges are there in the section between Mobile and Jacksonville, the only part where we have to worry about Amtrak blanket liability in extending the service. I think there are ways to deal with these things, particularly instrumenting the draws so any problem with their line or surface is communicated promptly and correctly to the trains. At least some of the required warnings, especially in flooding, would be piggybacked easily onto proper CBPTC. Of course our unique combination of weasels and shortsighted do-gooders give us a worthless signal overlay instead. But with just a couple more trillion we can fix it to work at least most of the time in critical situations...
BaltACD Of course the route also had the accident with the highest loss of life in Amtrak history - at Bayou Canot. Last I looked there were 11 drawbridges on the CSX line between Mobile and New Orleans and 5 more between Mobile and Flomaton and one more between Flomaton and Baldwin.
When I was working the territory - the mileage between Flomaton and Tallahassee was all dark, unsignalled territory. I am not aware that signals have been installed since I worked the territory.
A question: how many fatal accidents were there between Flomaton and Baldwin when the L&N and SAL were running passenger trains over this line?
Also, is the line from Baldwin to Chattahoochee still protected, or is it dark? I know that Flomaton to Chattahoochee line is dark.
Johnny
DeggestyA question: how many fatal accidents were there between Flomaton and Baldwin when the L&N and SAL were running passenger trains over this line? Also, is the line from Baldwin to Chattahoochee still protected, or is it dark? I know that Flomaton to Chattahoochee line is dark.
Have no idea of the accident statistics of 'The Gulf Wind' that was jointly operated by the L&N and SAL - which my family rode on on a vacation that included riding the Panama Limited from Chicago to New Orleans, several days at New Orleans, The Gulf Wind from New Orleans to Jacksonville. Rented a car at Jacksonville and stayed at Daytona Beach for a week. Rode the Silver Meteor from Jacksonville to Washington. Rode the B&O from Washington to Baltimore and were met by family for a weeks stay in the Baltimore area. Rode the Capitol Limited from Baltimore back home to Garrett, IN.
Signals are in place between Jacksonvill, Baldwin to Tallahassee. It is dark West of Tallahassee to Flomaton and thus dark from Tallahassee to Chattachoochee
Thanks, Balt, for confirming what I thought about the signals. I was not certain about the Tallahassee-Chattahoochee section, but I knew about the L&N's track. I would say there never was enough traffic that the L&N thought it necessary to install signals.
I was in Tallahassee in 1967. I used to see the Gulf Wind come through as it passed within 50 feet of my 2nd floor apartment. If my memory is correct, it only had a baggage car, dinner, coach, and a sleeper. Sometimes I could see into the coach and it rarely looked full- although I was west of the station so it could have been fuller Tallahassee to Jacksonville. In other words, not many people were using it back then.
DeggestyThanks, Balt, for confirming what I thought about the signals. I was not certain about the Tallahassee-Chattahoochee section, but I knew about the L&N's track. I would say there never was enough traffic that the L&N thought it necessary to install signals.
Summer 1960
This Mobile to NOLA deal sounds like a good start. Almost actual service. An actual "corridor" where there are people, running when they are awake with decent end points. Connecting NOLA to Jacksonville? Why? With the exception of Talahassee, the vast majority of people between Jax and Mobile are vacationers who are coming from the north. An east-west train makes no sense for these folk.
Wasn't the average load on the currently dead portion of the Sunset something like 90 people? That's not particularly useful. Why bother?
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
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